Orchid Blush
by harinezumiko
Summary: In Seoul for a bit of shopping outside of term time, Cronos chances upon a former student looking for makeup advice.


Author's notes:

I started this as a light bit of crack to take a break from something angsty I'm writing at the moment. It... surprised me the turn it took. I've rewritten the ending of this too many times so I'm just going to leave it as is for fear of making it worse.

I'm happy with the last word though.

This fic was not sponsored but you might be able to tell I own far too many cosmetic products. I was going to do this with dub personalities but the thought of Cronos being a regular tourist in Myeongdong was just too entertaining for me.

* * *

Breath frosted in the air as Cronos de Medici trilled softly to himself. He tripped lightly down the busy Myeongdong street, buoyed rather than weighted by the selection of small but luxurious paper bags clutched in his hands. Sometimes, you just had to buy yourself a Christmas present. Or several.

He slowed as he passed the doorway of Olive Young. Cotton pads you could get in Japan, sure, but while he was in Korea he might as well make maximum use of tax-free shopping and pick up some basics. He stepped back and let the door swoosh open for him with a warm inviting sigh.

"Cotton pads, cotton pads, silky soft, cotton pads… Oh, what's this? Sun cushion? One can't be too careful on a tropical island, even in winter, _na no ne_." Cronos' basket filled quickly as he flitted down the aisles. Hyaluronic acid sheet masks, resveratrol exfoliating pads, and – he looked around before secreting the small white packet at the bottom of the basket – pimple patches.

His eyes alit upon a tall young man, long teal hair standing out against the black of his coat, at the end of the next aisle. He approached with a friendly smile. " _Signor_ Marufuji Ryo, _che sorpresa_!"

"Professor?" Ryo turned away from the lipsticks he'd been contemplating and offered his old teacher a short bow. "What brings you to Seoul? It's good to see you again."

"The same to you. It is a fine thing to see the Kaiser looking so well, _bravo_!" Cronos shifted the basket in his hand. It uncomfortably restricted his ability to gesticulate. "The students have returned to their homes for the winter break, so I thought I would take a little trip. And yourself?"

Ryo reached into the shoulder bag he was carrying and handed Cronos a flyer. "Exhibition duel. You'd be welcome to come, if you're able."

Cronos scanned the flyer. "A flower garden of demonic delights: Hell Kaiser versus the Rap Monster?"

"My opponent's agency handled the promotion." Ryo shifted his gaze to slightly over Cronos' left shoulder.

"It is a beautiful picture," said Cronos with a sigh. "Oh, good skin is wasted on the young. I am lucky to have an appointment at the Sulwhasoo spa tomorrow. Perhaps then, I shall be presentable enough to appear a butterfly amongst flowers."

Ryo smiled. "Your elegance never goes unnoticed, Professor. I'm sure we could all learn from you."

" _Accipicchia_!" Cronos straightened up and smiled toothily. "Then perhaps I could teach you a little something right now. You are looking for something for a lady friend, _na no ne_?"

"Actually," Ryo crossed his arms, "I want to get a lipstick for myself."

"For yourself? _Che buono_!" Cronos nodded excitedly. "It is much much much better to have the person present, yes? To find the proper colour."

"I was thinking something to match my hair, or maybe black. But this shop doesn't seem to have those sorts of colours."

Cronos tutted, studying Ryo's face. "Something dramatic, yes, I appreciate. But the monochrome, it is not surprising, it loses impact, you see?"

"Then, what would you recommend?" A laugh lurked at the corner of Ryo's mouth.

"One moment, if you please, and I have just the thing in mind." Cronos excused himself to pay for his basket of necessities, and then they headed back out to the street.

The wind picked up the tail of Ryo's coat, directing a chill blast to his legs. He pulled the coat tightly around him and let Cronos guide him to an obscenely pink chateau. He hesitated on the doorstep, unsure, but Cronos breezed in, greeting the staff in heavily accented Korean, and Ryo followed.

"Burgundy, merlot, sangria… wine on the lips, in a glass or a gloss… _Che buono_!" Cronos tested a couple of frosted tubes on the back of his hand, holding the swatches up to Ryo's face. "Perhaps it is too subtle." He moved on along the counter, testing as he went.

"What about that one?" Ryo pointed to a glass tube containing a black liquid.

"Shall we try it?" Cronos smiled and found a bare patch to stroke the applicator across. It wasn't as dark as it appeared in the tube, taking on a more reddish tone. "Black cherry, or perhaps poison rose. Do you like it?"

Ryo considered. It wasn't what he had in mind, but the colour wasn't altogether unappealing. "Maybe."

" _Jeogiyo_!" Cronos called out to an apron-clad assistant. "Could we try this, please?"

The assistant smiled and pulled out a white stool with too many flourishes for its size, indicating to take a seat. She pulled a clean lip brush from a pouch as Ryo sat, facing the exit, and dipped it into the tint bottle. Steadying his chin with one hand, she drew the brush softly across his lips.

"You can wear this two ways," she said. "Go like this." She mimed pressing her lips together repeatedly. Ryo followed suit, and she held up a mirror. "The gradient effect is pretty on men, too. It gives your lips a soft rosebud effect, without being too feminine."

Cronos tapped his foot. "The _signore_ was looking for something dramatic."

"Yes, of course." She put down the mirror hastily and picked up the brush again, making another few tickling passes across Ryo's lips. "This is the more intense way to wear it, colour right to the edge of the lips. It's a tint, too, so it will last even through eating."

Ryo checked in the mirror. Oddly, alongside his winged eyeliner and heavy mascara, the colour gave him something of the vibe of a classic film starlet. He decided to evaluate it without taking into account the pink of the bottle cap, and the words "Dear Darling" printed on the tube together with a little heart. Hell Kaiser was not shallow enough to dismiss an option based on packaging alone, though it wouldn't have drawn him in in the first place. "It's not unattractive," he admitted.

"Too natural, _na no ne_? Perhaps we should try another…"

"No, this is fine," Ryo stood up hastily. "I'll take it."

The shop assistant happily selected a fresh bottle from the rack, slipping it into a pink paper bag alongside a couple of skincare samples. Ryo offered payment and took the bag with a respectful bow. Its slogan "Wanna be sweet?" hung incongruously next to his gothic attire.

"Next, Amore Pacific, Espoir, Laneige… No! Too Cool For School." Cronos chuckled. "Like _Signor_ Judai."

Aesthetically, the next shop was a complete tone shift – now all dark wood, black and cream, the products competed for shelf space with ceramic phrenology heads and jars filled with doll parts, a stylish alchemical laboratory. The eclectic theme carried through to the makeup packaging, as skulls and dinosaurs opposed painterly art palettes and rosy-cheeked girls.

Ryo picked up a black tube and read the label. "Glam Rock Vampire Kiss?"

Cronos shuddered. "I think neither you nor I should concern ourselves with such things, _Signor_ Marufuji."

"This one would suit you, Professor." Ryo picked up the dubiously-named Hot Girl Lip Sticker. "The shade's Urban Orchid."

Cronos took the offered yellow plaid tube and eyed the pinky purple within. "Perhaps. A change is refreshing, and my soul is tired. _Dio mio_! How I wish I could be young again."

"Don't say that so easily." Ryo's painted lips twisted.

Cronos paused, watching him, and sighed. "Alas, it is true. Youth hurts the young most of all. Everything is pain, _na no ne_?"

"So, you study your students for more than ability?" Ryo tested a red gel pencil, dragging it too hard across the skin, then scrubbing at it with a finger.

Cronos made a noncommittal noise. "If I let them go into the world unable to face it, I have failed in my duty. Now and then I see… a former student, tortured and directionless. Sometimes their spirit fades. Others, they cannot let their torture end. The hurt dulls with time, one misses it, and seeks it out. One inflicts heartbreak to receive it, yet nothing feels like the first."

Ryo stared at Cronos, hands clenched tight. "You make it sound like becoming an adult gives you a choice between apathy and tyranny."

Cronos angled his head and hummed. "Not so. You taught me, you and _Signor_ Judai, how to break the cycle. We learn to direct our anger. To make peace with our torment. And to find joy with others. A moment of pleasure with a friend to lift the spirits, it heals little by little, _no ne_? And as we open our hearts, we find there is more to feel than pain."

Ryo took a deep breath and uncurled his fingers, nail imprints still stinging his palms. "So you take it day by day."

" _Forza_ , _Signor_ Marufuji!" Cronos laid a gentle hand on Ryo's shoulder. "Let us partake of coffee and cake. The bittersweet combination will surely calm our nerves. There is a café nearby that prepares excellent _tiramisu_."


End file.
